Thailand awarded Tokyo 2020 Football Qualification Tournament

Thailand has been awarded the hosting rights for the 2020 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Under-23 Championship, which will also serve as a qualifier for the Olympic Games in Tokyo.

The AFC Competitions Committee made the decision during a meeting here in Japan’s capital.

The AFC will have four qualified teams for the men’s tournament at Tokyo 2020, with Japan as hosts alongside three other teams from the Under-23 Championship.

Seven stadiums for football matches at Tokyo 2020 were approved by the International Olympic Committee Executive Board in May to bring the total venue selection process to a formal close.

Matches are due to be played around the country in the Tokyo Stadium, Sapporo Dome, Miyagi Stadium, Ibaraki Kashima Stadium, Saitama Stadium, International Stadium Yokohama and the new Olympic Stadium in the host city.

The use of the Miyagi and Ibaraki prefectures sees Tokyo 2020 embrace areas worst affected by the 2011 Great East Japan earthquake and tsunami.

Uzbekistan beat Vietnam in the final of this year’s AFC Under-23 Championship, which was played in extreme weather conditions

Uzbekistan won this year’s edition of the AFC Under-23 Championship, beating Vietnam 2-1 in the final after extra-time.

The 2016 event took place in Qatar and acted as a qualifier for the same year’s Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. Winners Japan were joined by runners-up South Korea and third-placed Iran in earning their spot at the Games.

None of the three teams managed to make it beyond the quarter-final stage at Rio 2016 as hosts Brazil claimed the gold medal with a penalty shoot-out win over Germany in the final.

Tokyo 2020 is currently hosting its first World Press Briefing here. A four-day programme is scheduled to conclude on Friday (September 7).